Day 1
Breakfast
Jennifer Aniston loves bagels, so, for breakfast split and toast a bagel and top with 2 tsp high-fruit jam and cottage cheese, extra-light cream cheese or natural yoghurt.
Snack
Fruit juice or smoothie.
Lunch
Supermarket salad bowl with wholegrain or granary roll. Follow Martine McCutcheon's advice and look for a salad with plenty of poultry, fish or white meat.
Dinner
Goulash - Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a non-stick pan. Brown around 150g steak pieces, turning over to seal on all sides. Once browned, remove from the pan. Put 4 level tbsp brown rice on to boil, which will take about 40 minutes. Add a small sliced onion to the meat pan along with 2 crushed cloves of garlic and allow to soften. Add 1 tsp paprika, a small tin of tomatoes and the meat and stir well. Season with freshly ground black pepper and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary. Cut a pepper into strips, add to the goulash and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Serve half the goulash with half the rice (store the rest in the freezer or refrigerate until tomorrow night), topped with 1 tbsp natural yoghurt if you wish.
Day 2
Breakfast
A small bowl of Special K with 2 tbsp All-Bran, skimmed milk and a handful of dried fruit.
Lunch
Mix together 1 tsp mustard and 1 tsp reduced-fat mayo. Spread on two slices of wholegrain bread and fill with two slices of honey-roast ham and a sliced tomato. Fruit portion.
Snack
Müllerice.
Dinner
Five-Minute Fish from Tesco – take Gwyneth's advice and go for swordfish, tuna or salmon.
Day 3
Breakfast
Skinny latte with wholegrain toast or a wholegrain muffin. Singer Dido swears by the slow energy release of wholegrain carbs to keep her going all day.
Lunch
Mix a small can of tuna in brine (drained) with 1 tsp natural yoghurt. Use to fill a wholemeal pitta pocket along with 2 tbsp mixed beans, diced cucumber, tomato, spring onion and salad.
Snack
Bag of Rispinos or Snack-a-Jacks.
Dinner
Ravioli with ratatouille - Boil two handfuls of fresh pasta, such as spinach and cheese ravioli, in plenty of water as directed on the packet, omitting any added fat or salt. Meanwhile, heat half a can of ratatouille. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, stir in the ratatouille. Top with 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese.
Day 4
Breakfast
Pot of Greek yoghurt, a cupful of strawberries or raspberries and 1 tsp honey or maple syrup.
Snack
Raisin and chocolate cereal bar.
Lunch
Follow Victoria Beckham's lead and choose high-protein, low-fat prawns. Mix together ½ tbsp each reduced-fat mayo and tomato ketchup. Stir in around 20 prawns and use to fill a wholegrain pitta pocket with lots of salad. Portion of fruit.
Dinner
Chicken salsa with potato wedges - Cut 3 small potatoes into wedges, coat with 2 tsp olive oil and bake at 350F/180C/gas mark 4 for 30 minutes. Meanwhile grill or griddle a chicken fillet for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through. Serve with 2 tbsp tomato salsa, 2 tbsp sweetcorn and plenty of salad or green vegetables.
Day 5
Breakfast
Two slices of mixed-grain seedy bread, toasted, with reduced-fat olive spread and 1-2 tsp high-fruit jam.
Lunch
Choose a supermarket salad bowl with pasta, rice or cous cous for lunch. Fruit portion.
Snack
Low-fat yoghurt or fromage frais.
Dinner
Bangers and mash with onion gravy - Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a non-stick pan and add a finely sliced onion. Allow to brown slightly and then cover the pan with a lid and cook to soften completely. Stir in 1-2 tsp plain flour, and gradually add 70ml chicken stock and 70ml red wine. Uncover and allow to simmer. In the meantime, boil 2 small/medium potatoes and grill 2 top-quality sausages. Once the potatoes are boiled, mash with a splash of milk and 1 tsp grainy mustard. Serve with lots of green vegetables and a glass of red wine. (If you don't want to make your own gravy, just make up granules or buy a jar!)
Day 6
Breakfast
Combine a third of a teacup of porridge oats with a teacup of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until thickened or pop in the microwave for about the same time. Top with a splash of skimmed milk and 1 tbsp of apple sauce. Even Brian McFadden is singing the praises of porridge these days!
Lunch
A small tin of baked beans (go for the reduced sugar/salt variety) on 2 slices wholegrain toast. Fruit portion.
Snack
Two Ryvita with extra-light cream cheese and a sliced tomato or cucumber.
Dinner
Gisele Bundchen might enjoy Brazilian liver burgers, but we'll go for a version that's just as low in fat - turkey burgers!
Mix together 450g lean minced turkey, half a finely sliced onion, a crushed clove of garlic, an egg, 2 tbsp breadcrumbs, black pepper and mixed herbs. Shape into 4 patties and place on a grill tray. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375F/190C/gas mark 5 for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Serve a burger in a wholegrain roll with tomato salsa and plenty of salad.
Day 7
Breakfast
Pour a small glass of orange juice, a splash of apple juice and a handful of raspberries (tinned ones are fine – use about half a tin) into a blender. Whizz until smooth. Two toasted crumpets with a little reduced-fat olive spread.
Lunch
Cover 30g cous cous (bulgar wheat would also work) with water or stock and set aside to swell. After 10 minutes, drain off any excess water and fork through the cous cous to fluff the grains. Mix in 2 tbsp cooked chickpeas, ½ tbsp raisins, the zest of half a lemon or 1 tbsp lemon juice (or a preserved lemon, if you have any), 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil and a handful of chopped herbs – parsley, mint, coriander, whatever you have. Serve with a nice salad of rocket and watercress.
Snack
Packet of lower-fat crisps.
Dinner
Hypnotist Paul McKenna helps people realise the importance of enjoying food and savouring the flavour for full satisfaction. Here's a flavoursome dish to really enjoy!
Aromatic lamb - Put 1½ tbsp brown rice on to boil for 35-40 minutes. Mix together 3 tbsp natural yoghurt, ¾ tsp cinnamon, 2 cardamom pods, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp coriander seeds, ¼ tsp ground ginger and a pinch of cloves. Use this to marinade a lean lamb loin chop for 30 mins. After 25 minutes, cook the lamb either on a griddle pan or under the grill – this will take around 10-12 minutes. Meantime, boil or steam green vegetables and serve with the rice and lamb.
Go to week four of the red carpet diet
Read more about the rules of the red carpet diet
